Village Roadshow Pictures
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture production |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Greg Coote |
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Steve Mosko (CEO), Bruce Berman (former CEO) |
| Products | Motion pictures |
| Owner | Vine Alternative Investments, Falcon Investment Advisors, Village Roadshow (minority 3%) |
| Parent | Village Roadshow Entertainment Group (VREG) |
Village Roadshow Pictures is a U.S.-based motion picture production company established in 1989. It operated as a segment of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group (VREG), primarily owned by Vine Alternative Investments and Falcon Investment Advisors, with the Australian firm Village Roadshow holding a minority 3% interest.
The studio is recognized for producing prominent films, frequently in partnership with Warner Bros., such as the Matrix saga, the Ocean's franchise, The Lego Movie, Happy Feet, Mad Max: Fury Road, American Sniper, Sherlock Holmes, Cats & Dogs, and Joker. Its film catalog boasts 34 titles that debuted at number one in the U.S. box office, earned 19 Academy Awards from 50 nominations, and received six Golden Globe Awards.
Village Roadshow Pictures managed self-distribution of its films through subsidiaries in regions like Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore (via Golden Village). Its financing partners included institutions such as JPMorgan Chase and Rabobank, which supported its slate alongside Warner Bros. The company also maintained a co-financing arrangement with Sony Pictures, concluding in 2016.
In March 2025, Village Roadshow Pictures filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, leading to the sale of its film library to Alcon Entertainment for $417.5 million by June 2025.
History
Founded in 1989 by Greg Coote, who took on the role of president, Village Roadshow Pictures began by acquiring assets from the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. Its inaugural film was The Delinquents, followed by the successful 1992 release Fortress. The company ventured into television production in 1993 with the series Paradise Beach.[1]
In 1995, Village Roadshow established a television division under Jeffrey Hayes and an international sales division led by Bobby Myers. The following year, it entered a joint venture with Yoram Gross focusing on animation. April 1997 saw the creation of Village Intermedia Pictures in partnership with Intermedia, although this collaboration ended within months. Later that year, Michael Lake was appointed managing director, and Yoram Gross-Village Roadshow teamed up with Munich’s EM.TV & Merchandising AG to co-produce animated content.
By December 1997, Village Roadshow secured a five-year co-financing and distribution agreement with Warner Bros., committing to produce a minimum of 20 films while Warner Bros. would oversee marketing and worldwide release—except in Australia and New Zealand. Bruce Berman joined as chairman and CEO.
In 1998, Village Roadshow divested its television division through a management buyout led by Greg Coote and Jeffrey Hayes, who rebranded it as Coote/Hayes Productions. The company also closed its international sales department, transferring rights for Western productions to Icon Entertainment International and Australian titles to Beyond Films Limited. Additionally, it sold its half stake in the Yoram Gross animation partnership to EM.TV & Merchandising.
A consortium headed by Act III Communications, including Norman Lear and Hal Gaba’s Crescent Film Group along with investors like Michael Lambert and Clarity Partners, purchased a 50% interest in Village Roadshow Pictures for $115 million in 2006. This funding was utilized to settle inter-company debts and distribute dividends.
In 2008, Village Roadshow Pictures merged with Concord Music Group, forming Village Roadshow Entertainment Group (VREG), supported by Crescent shareholders, Australia's Village Roadshow Limited, and Tailwind Capital. The co-financing first-look deal with Warner Bros. was extended through 2017 in 2012. VREG entered an additional co-financing agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment in May 2014, beginning with titles such as The Equalizer and Annie. Concord Music Group was sold around 2013 for approximately $120 million.
In 2015, VREG obtained $480 million in recapitalization from Falcon Investment Advisors and Vine Alternative Investments. By April 2017, these investors assumed controlling interests to enable an expanded slate of films and increased television production. Steve Mosko was subsequently named CEO.
Phantom Four Films signed a first-look agreement with Village Roadshow Pictures in 2021—the same year Bruce Berman resigned after serving as CEO for 24 years. In December 2021, Village Roadshow collaborated with Fox Entertainment to distribute films on Tubi and launched Black Noir Cinema alongside Kevin Garnett.
Due to overexpansion, workforce reductions, and an arbitration conflict with Warner Bros. regarding the simultaneous release of The Matrix Resurrections, Village Roadshow Entertainment Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2025. The former Australian parent clarified it had no authority over VREG since 2017 and sought to revoke its rights to use the Village Roadshow name and logo. Content Partners submitted a stalking horse bid ranging from $353 million to $365 million for VREG’s assets; however, in April 2025, Alcon Entertainment outbid them with an offer of $416.5 million. Delaware bankruptcy judge Thomas Horan established deadlines for bidding and scheduled an auction in May.
On June 18, 2025, Alcon's winning bid of $417.5 million secured ownership of VREG's collection of 108 films—including intellectual property rights, distribution licenses (excluding Warner Bros.-co-financed projects), revenue streams, royalties, and development projects across both film and television. On November 5, Alcon acquired derivative rights for $18.5 million following court approval despite Warner Bros.' higher competing bid of $19.5 million amid ongoing disputes involving major franchises like Matrix, Practical Magic, and sequels to Ocean's Eleven.[2]
1980s
| Title | Distributor | Release date | Remarks | Budget | Box office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Delinquents | Warner Bros. Pictures | 21 December 1989 | Debut feature | $9 million | N/A |
1990s
Analyze ThisWarner Bros. Pictures5 March 1999Co-produced with NPV Entertainment, Baltimore Spring Creek Pictures, Face Productions, and TriBeCa Productions$30 million$176.9 millionThe MatrixWarner Bros. Pictures31 March 1999Produced in association with Silver Pictures and Groucho II Film Partnership$63 million$467.2 millionA Walk on the MoonMiramax Films2 April 1999Joint production with Punch Productions and Groucho Film Partnership$14 million$4.7 millionLove Lies Bleeding (1999 film)Warner Bros. Pictures23 June 1999Deep Blue SeaWarner Bros. Pictures28 July 1999Produced collaboratively with Riche-Ludwig Productions and Groucho II Film Partnership$60 million$164.6 millionThree KingsWarner Bros. Pictures1 October 1999Co-produced alongside Village-A.M. Film Partnership, Coast Ridge Films, and Atlas Entertainment$48 million$107.7 millionThree to TangoWarner Bros. Pictures22 October 1999 """Joint venture with Village-Hoyts Film Partnership and Outlaw Productions""" $20 million$10.6 million| Title | Distributor | Release date | Remarks | Budget | Box office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloodmoon | Carolco Pictures | 22 March 1990 | N/A | $419,769 | |
| Blood Oath | Skouras Pictures | 26 July 1990 | Joint production with Sovereign Pictures, Charles Waterstreet Productions, and Siege Productions | $10 million | $707,194 |
| Until the End of the World | Warner Bros. | 25 December 1991 | $23 million | $752,856 | |
| Dead Sleep | Vestron Video | 29 January 1992 | N/A | ||
| Hurricane Smith | Warner Bros. | 31 January 1992 | $5 million | $89,467 | |
| The Power of One | 27 March 1992 | Produced in collaboration with Regency Enterprises, StudioCanal, and Alcor Films | $18 million | $2.8 million | |
| Turtle Beach | 1 May 1992 | Co-produced with Regency Enterprises and StudioCanal | N/A | $778,535 | |
| Over the Hill | New Line Home Entertainment | 30 June 1992 | N/A | ||
| Fortress | Dimension Films | 3 September 1993 | Co-produced alongside Davis Entertainment | $12 million | $48 million |
| Lightning Jack | Savoy Pictures | 11 March 1994 | "Lightning Ridge Productions" was a co-producer | N/A | $25 million |
| The Phantom | Paramount Pictures | 7 June 1996 | "The Ladd Company" participated in production | $45 million | $23.5 million |
| 'Hotel de Love' | 'LIVE Entertainment' | '12 September 1996' | 'Produced with Pratt Films' | 'N/A' | '$747,372' |
| 'Bullet (1996 film)' | 'New Line Home Video' | '1 October 1996' | 'Co-produced with Clipsal Film Partnership' | N/A' | |
| 'Paradise Road (1997 film)' | 'Fox Searchlight Pictures' | '11 April 1997' | 'Collaboration with YTC Pictures and Planet Pictures' | '$19 million' | '$4 million' |
| 'Broken English (1996 film)' | 'Sony Pictures Classics' | '2 May 1997' | 'No additional notes' | 'N/A' | '$541,377' |
| 'The Winner (1996 film)' | 'LIVE Entertainment' | '25 July 1997' | 'In partnership with Clipsal Film Partnership' | N/A' | |
| 'Critical Care (film)' | 'LIVE Entertainment' | '31 October 1997' | 'Jointly produced with ASQA Film Partnership and Live Film and Mediaworks' | '$12 million' | '$271,000' |
| 'Diana & Me' | 'Hollywood Pictures Home Video' | '4 December 1997' | 'No remarks available' | 'N/A' | '$205,783' |
| 'Joey (1997 film)' | 'Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer' | '26 December 1997' | 'Produced alongside Pratt Films' | N/A' | |
| 'Tarzan and the Lost City' | 'Warner Bros. Pictures' | '24 April 1998' | "Co-production involving Clipsal Film Partnership, Dieter Geissler Productions, and Alta Vista Productions" | '$20 million' | '$2.2 million' |
| 'Disturbing Behavior' | "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (North America), Sony Pictures Releasing (International)" | '24 July 1998' | "Produced jointly with Village-Hoyts Film Partnership and Beacon Pictures" | '$15 million' | '$17.5 million' |
| 'Practical Magic' | 'Warner Bros. Pictures' | '16 October 1998' | "Collaborated with Fortis Films and Di Novi Pictures" | '$75 million' | '$68.3 million' |
| "Occasional Coarse Language" | "Roadshow Film Distributors" | "26 November 1998" | "–" | " $40,000" | " $909,475" |
2000s
... [Table continues similarly for remaining entries] ... Significant releases include:- Ocean's Eleven (2001) – $85M budget; $450.7M gross; co-produced with Jerry Weintraub Productions and Section Eight Productions
- The Matrix Reloaded (2003) – Budget between $127–150M; box office $741.8M; co-produced with Silver Pictures
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) – $150M budget; $475M revenue; co-produced alongside The Zanuck Company and Plan B Entertainment
- Sherlock Holmes (2009) – $90M budget; $524M box office; produced with Silver Pictures and Wigram Productions
| Title | Distributor | Release date | Notes | Budget | Box office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eye of the Beholder | Destination Films | 28 January 2000 | Produced in collaboration with Ambridge Film Partnership, Behaviour Worldwide, Hit & Run Productions, and Filmline International | $35 million | $17.6 million |
| Gossip | Warner Bros. Pictures | 21 April 2000 | Joint production with NPV Entertainment and Outlaw Productions | $24 million | $12 million |
| Space Cowboys | 4 August 2000 | Produced alongside Clipsal Films, Mad Chance Productions, and Malpaso Productions | $60–65 million | $128.9 million | |
| Red Planet | 10 November 2000 | Co-produced with NPV Entertainment and The Canton Company | $80 million | $33.5 million | |
| Miss Congeniality | 22 December 2000 | Produced in partnership with Fortis Films and Castle Rock Entertainment | $45 million | $212.7 million | |
| Valentine | 2 February 2001 | Co-production with NPV Entertainment and Dylan Sellers Productions | $29 million | $36.7 million | |
| Saving Silverman | Sony Pictures Releasing | 9 February 2001 | Jointly produced with Columbia Pictures, NPV Entertainment, and Original Film | $22 million | $26 million |
| Down to Earth | Paramount Pictures | 16 February 2001 | Produced in collaboration with NPV Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Alphaville | $30 million | $71.2 million |
| See Spot Run | Warner Bros. Pictures | 2 March 2001 | Co-production with Robert Simonds Productions and NPV Entertainment | $16 million | $43 million |
| Exit Wounds | 16 March 2001 | Produced together with NPV Entertainment and Silver Pictures | $33 million | $80 million | |
| Swordfish | 8 June 2001 | Jointly produced by NPV Entertainment, Silver Pictures, and Jonathan D. Krane Productions | $102 million | $147.1 million | |
| Cats & Dogs | 4 July 2001 | Co-production involving NPV Entertainment, Mad Chance Productions, and Zide/Perry Productions | $60 million | $200.7 million |
2010s
...continued| Title | Distributor | Release date | Notes | Budget | Box office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex and the City 2 | Warner Bros. Pictures | 27 May 2010 | 'With New Line Cinema; co-produced alongside HBO Films | '$95 million' | '$294.7 million' |
| 'Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore' | '30 July 2010' | 'Co-production involving CD2 Pictures, Andrew Lazar#Mad Chance Productions, and Polymorphic Pictures' | '$85 million' | '$112.5 million' | |
| 'Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole' | '24 September 2010' | 'Produced jointly with Animal Logic and GOG Productions' | '$80 million' | '$140.1 million' | |
| 'Life as We Know It' | '8 October 2010' | 'Co-production with Gold Circle Films and Barry Josephson#Josephson Entertainment' | '$38 million' | '$105.7 million' | |
| 'Happy Feet Two' | '18 November 2011' | 'Produced in partnership with George Miller (filmmaker)#Dr. D Studios and Kennedy Miller Mitchell' | '$135 million' | '$150.4 million' | |
| 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' | '16 December 2011' | 'Co-produced alongside Silver Pictures and Lionel Wigram (film producer)#Wigram Productions' | '$125 million' | '$543.8 million' | |
| 'The Lucky One' | '10 April 2012' | 'Produced jointly with Denise Di Novi#Di Novi Pictures' | '$25 million' | '$99.4 million' | |
| 'Dark Shadows' | '11 May 2012' | 'Co-production involving Infinitum Nihil, GK Films, and The Zanuck Company' | '$150 million' | '$245.5 million' | |
| 'Gangster Squad' | '11 January 2013' | 'Produced together with Rideback (production company)#Lin Pictures and Kevin McCormick Productions' | 'Budget range: $60–75 million' | 'Box office: $105.2 million' | |
| 'Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons#Journey to the West' | 'Huayi Brothers' | '10 February 2013' | "Under Village Roadshow Pictures Asia label; joint production with Bingo Movie Development, Alibaba Pictures, Edko Films, China Film Group Corporation, and Huayi Brothers" | "N/A" | "Grossed $215 million" |
| '101 Proposals' | 'New Classics Media' | '12 February 2013' | "Released as Village Roadshow Pictures Asia; co-produced alongside Fuji Television Network, China Film Group Corporation, and Asia Times Cultural Media" | "Budget: $31.2 million" | "" |
| 'The Great Gatsby' | 'Warner Bros. Pictures' | '10 May 2013' | "Co-production including A&E Television, Baz Luhrmann, and Red Wagon Entertainment" | "Budget: $105 million" | "Box office: $353.6 million" |
| 'Man of Tai Chi' | "Distributed by 'The Weinstein Company' in North America and 'Universal Pictures' internationally" | "1 November 2013" | "Under Village Roadshow Pictures Asia banner; co-produced with China Film Group Corporation and Wanda Media" | "Budget: $25 million" | "Box office: $5.5 million" |
| 'The Lego Movie' | Warner Bros. Pictures" | "7 February 2014" | "Joint production with Warner Animation Group, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Lego System A/S, Vertigo Entertainment, and Lin Pictures" | "Budget range: $60–65 million" | "Box office revenue: $468.1 million" |
| 'Winter's Tale' | "14 February 2014" | "Produced alongside RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Weed Road Pictures, and Marc Platt Productions" | "Budget: $75 million" | "Gross: $30.8 million" | |
| 'Edge of Tomorrow' | "6 June 2014" | "Co-production including RatPac-Dune Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment, Viz Productions, and TC Productions" | "Budget: $178 million" | "Box office total: $370.5 million" | |
| 'Into the Storm' | "8 August 2014" | "With New Line Cinema; co-produced alongside Broken Road Productions and RatPac-Dune Entertainment" | "Budget: $50 million" | "Revenue: $161.7 million" | |
| 'The Equalizer' | "Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group" | "26 September 2014" | "Produced jointly with Columbia Pictures, LStar Capital, Escape Artists, Mace Neufeld Productions, and Zhiv Productions" | "Budget range: $55–73 million" | "Box office earnings: $192.3 million" |
| 'The Judge' | "Warner Bros. Pictures" | "10 October 2014" | "Co-production involving RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Team Downey, and Big Kid Pictures" | "Budget range: $45–50 million" | "Grossed $84.4 million" |
| 'Annie' | "Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group" | "19 December 2014" | "Produced together with Columbia Pictures, Overbrook Entertainment, Olive Bridge Entertainment, and Marcy Media Films" | "Budget range: $65–78 million" | "Box office total: $133.8 million" |
| 'American Sniper' | Warner Bros. Pictures " | "25 December 2014 " | "Co-produced alongside RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Mad Chance Productions, 22nd & Indiana Pictures, and Malpaso Productions " | "Budget: $59 million " | "Box office grossed $547.4 million " |
| 'Jupiter Ascending' | "6 February 2015 " | "Joint production including RatPac-Dune Entertainment and Anarchos Productions " | "Budget range: $176–210 million " | "Earnings of $183.9million " | |
| 'Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal ' | "United States distribution by Well Go USA Entertainment, China by Desen International Media, Hong Kong via Warner Bros. Pictures " | "19 February 2015 "
'"Under Village Roadshow Pictures Asia label; co-produced with Beijing Enlight Pictures, K. Pictures, and Shenzhen Wus Entertainment"' '"Budgeted at $30million"' '"Generated box office revenue of $64.47million"' |
2020s
| Title | Distributor | Release date | Notes | Budget | Box office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Matrix Resurrections | Warner Bros. Pictures | 22 December 2021 | produced jointly with Venus Castina Productions and Deutscher Filmförderfonds | $190 million | $159.2 million |
| Cinnamon | Tubi | 23 June 2023 | collaboration with Fox Entertainment Studios and Content Cartel Studios | N/A | |
| Murder City | 29 June 2023 | ||||
| Wonka | Warner Bros. Pictures | 15 December 2023 | joint production with Heyday Films and The Roald Dahl Story Company | $125 million | $632.3 million |
| The Gutter | Magnolia Pictures | 1 November 2024 | produced in partnership with Destro Films and ModelBoyz Entertainment | $17 million | $17,750 |
Upcoming
| Title | Distributor | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belly of the Beast | Lionsgate UK | To Be Announced | co-produced with Chapel Place |
| Eternal Return | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | collaborative production involving MACRO, BK Studios, Picture Films, New Name Entertainment, Gatherer Entertainment, Little Walnut, and The Post Republic |
Television series
| Year | Series | Network | Notes | Seasons | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–1994 | Paradise Beach | Nine Network | co-produced with Genesis Entertainment | 2 | 260 |
| 1995–1999 | Flipper | Syndication/PAX | involved in first three seasons only; joint production with Samuel Goldwyn Television, Tribune Entertainment, and MGM Television | 5 | 61 |
| 1995–1996 | Space: Above and Beyond | Fox | required collaboration with Hard Eight Pictures and 20th Television | 1 | 23 |
| 1996–1997 | Pacific Drive | Nine Network | required partnership with New World Pictures | 2 | 390 |
| 1997–1998 | Night Man | Broadcast syndication | required only for season 1; co-produced alongside ProSieben, Glen A. Larson, Alliance Atlantis, and Tribune Entertainment | 1 | 22 |
|
collaborated with RTL Group, Gaumont Télévision, and South Pacific Pictures |
1 |
22 | |||
|
co-produced with Flying Bark Productions, International Tele Images, and Videal |
26 | ||||
|
joint venture with Flying Bark Productions, Nelvana, and Scottish Television Enterprises |
1 |
26 |
Television films
| Title | Network | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trapped in Space | Sci-Fi Channel | 19 October 1994 | required collaboration with CNM Entertainment and Wilshire Court Productions |
| Sahara | Showtime | 25 April 1995 | required partnership with TriStar Television |
| The Ticket | USA Network | 6 August 1997 | co-produced alongside CNM Entertainment and Wilshire Court Productions |
| Meteorites! | 3 June 1998 | joint production with Wilshire Court Productions | |
| The Fury Within | 28 October 1998 | ||
| Alien Cargo | UPN | 28 January 1999 | |
| Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World | TNT | 3 April 1999 | pilot film; co-produced with St. Clare Entertainment, Telescene, and The Fremantle Corporation |
| Monster | UPN | 12 November 1999 | produced in partnership with Wilshire Court Productions |
| The Magicians | 10 March 2000 | ||
| Code 11-14 | CBS | 24 August 2003 | collaborative effort with Wilshire Court Productions and Carlton America |
Television miniseries
| Title | Network | Premiere Date | Details | Number of Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years | CBS | February 11–13, 1996 | produced in collaboration with The Wolper Organization and Warner Bros. Television | 2 |
| 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | ABC | May 11–12, 1997 | joint production with The Frederick S. Pierce Company |